England's 1970 World Cup Squad: Reflections on a possible illness curse and on changing times.
2007; Royal College of General Practitioners; Volume: 57; Issue: 540 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1478-5242
Autores Tópico(s)Health disparities and outcomes
ResumoLike many an avid football fan, I was saddened by the recent and untimely death of Alan Ball. The flame-haired midfielder was inextricably linked with England's solitary World Cup triumph in 1966, and was the second member of the team to pass away after Bobby Moore. What startled me, however, was the realisation that he also became the seventh member of England's 1970 World Cup squad to die. I decided to research the fate of these seven deceased players to detect any common threads. I propose no definite answers, but perhaps some food for thought. In June 1970 England's 22-man squad set off to Mexico to defend the World Cup that had been won so memorably at Wembley 4 years earlier. Comfortable, if uninspiring, 1–0 wins over Rumania and Czechoslovakia sandwiched a defeat to the eventual champions Brazil by the same score in a classic match widely regarded as one of the technically finest soccer matches ever played. The points gained ensured passage to a quarter-final against West Germany where, improbably, the team blew a 2–0 lead and contrived to lose 3–2 after extra time. At the time and since, that last match gained legendary status as an inexplicable, Greek-like tragedy. Journalists ranked England as favourites to retain the World Cup, although I suspect this reflects the hyperbole and unrealistic expectations that have always followed the national team. A place in the final would have been realistic, but even had this happened I think Brazil would have prevailed: with the likes of Gerson, Jairzinho, Rivelino and the incomparable Pele, they were, by common consent, the finest team of all time. They indeed became worthy winners, defeating Italy 4–1 in a final that capped an excellent tournament. The far greater human tragedy than one lost football match has been the subsequent …
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